The bands AC/DC, Def Leppard, Queen – and the Ford 10 series tractors – all share one distinctive feature. They are all products of the 80s that require little or no introduction.
Launched in 1981, the Ford 10 series took over the reins from the outgoing 600 and 700 range of tractors and went on to enjoy major success throughout the 1980s.
That being said, there were two major blips – porous engines and a Rubik’s cube column shift gearbox which were remedied by 1983.
In 1981, the Ford 7710 had a short-lived position at the top of the 10 series throne until its larger sibling, the 116hp 8210, was released in 1982.
Although smaller in stature, the 7610 shares the same engine as the 7710 and also produced identical horsepower. However, the 7710’s trump card was its flat floor Q cab with floor-mounted gearsticks which offered a commanding driving view, thanks to its higher stature.
The 7710 tips the scales at 4.5tons and is powered by Ford’s 4.4l engine, turbo-charged and equal in bore and stroke, producing 97hp. Hydraulic output is rated at 70l/min and was available in both 2wd and 4wd with the 4wd axle manufactured in-house by Ford. Fitted with Ford’s synchromesh dual power transmission, the 7710 has 16F and 8R gears.
In December 1985, the whole 10 series was upgraded to the Ford Force II range. The 7710 benefitted from a deeper blue paint scheme, along with striking black decals with a red pin stripe. Most notably, however, was the evolution of the Q Cab into the Super Q cab, with greatly improved operator comfort thanks to a new Viking Bistrom seat and lower noise levels.
Other improvements included a new roof panel with integrated work lights, as well as a new console for the linkage control. A digital dash was available as an option while the cab cladding was changed from blue to black, with the side lighting relocated to the mudguards.
While the 7710 retained the same horsepower, it did benefit from a second assistor ram-boosting rear-lift capacity. The gear pattern on the main H pattern gear lever was also changed to have 1st and 3rd in the top left and right position respectively, instead of 2nd and 4th.
The Super Q cab almost evened the playing field for the 7610 and 7710 rivalry. However, the 7710 maintained the height, weight and wheelbase advantage. As the Generation 3 update was released in 1989, the 7610 was carried forward and unfortunately the 7710 was dropped.
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